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Voice of Tony the Tiger Dead at 91
- Thread starter wdlove
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It's sad to see him go, but, at 91, he lived a long and fruitful life which influenced millions. Not too shabby....
They didn't mention what I thought was his best role: singing the "Grinchy" songs in the original cartoon "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".
You didn't really think that was Boris Karloff singing those churlish pieces, did you? That was Thurl Ravenscroft. So thank you, Thurl, for those pleasant memories. I'll remember them all my lifetime:
"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You have termites in your smile. You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Gri-inch..."
You didn't really think that was Boris Karloff singing those churlish pieces, did you? That was Thurl Ravenscroft. So thank you, Thurl, for those pleasant memories. I'll remember them all my lifetime:
"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You have termites in your smile. You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Gri-inch..."
It's mentioned later in the story (follow the link), but I agree that it should have been mentioned in the lead. Other than Tony the Tiger, of course, the Grinch is the character that I most associated him with.Thomas Veil said:
P.S. According to his IMDB biography, that was his birth name: Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft. I thought for sure that had to be a stage name.
On the Haunted Mansion ride in the graveyard (at least at Disney World), Mr. Ravenscroft is the singing bust on the far left, the one often mistaken for Walt Disney. Last time I was at WDW I had to go to the Haunted Mansion just so I could hear that song again! I always loved hearing his voice.
Thurl Ravenscroft was my second favorite voice actor (surpassed only by Paul Frees, voice of the "Ghost Host" in the Haunted Mansion). His booming low voice was a staple in classic Disney! The voice of Paul Bunyan, Buff the Buffalo in Country Bear Jamboree, Fritz in the Enchanted Tiki Room, Uncle Theodore in the Haunted Mansion, to name but a fraction.I also remember he was the announcer at the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, CA, which I was fortunate enough to attend once at a young age.
He will be sorely, sorely missed.
I don't want to act like a wet blanket on this online memorial service, but I had a very different experience with Thurl. When I was still working my way through college, I was hired to play a gig at the Crystal Cathedral. Mr. Ravenscroft was the narrator of this play, and he made sure to use his trademark line, now describing Jesus as "Greeeeeeat!" It was a bit over the top and brought Jesus down to the level of a corn flake. While I am sorry to hear of the man's passing, I thought I should share my story so that others could have another view of the man.